Days before she tested positive for the illness, the 27-year-old Vietnamese jet-setter attended several fashion shows in Milan and Paris, including the ones hosted by Gucci and Saint Laurent.

Mar 12, 2020

AceShowbiz -
One Fashion Week attendee, who has been accused of spreading coronavirus, is breaking her silence. Days after being tested positive for COVID-19, Vietnamese socialite Nga Nguyen opened up about her initial reaction upon finding out that she has been infected with the virus.

The 27-year-old, who was a guest in both Gucci and Saint Laurent fashion shows in Milan and Paris, said she coughed during a routine visit to a doctor with her family. The next day, she was tested positive with coronavirus along with her sister Nguyen Hong Nhung, who also attended the prestigious events with her.

"I was really confused at first," the daughter of a steel magnate told The New York Times. "You think, how and when did it happen?" Her disbelief might make sense to her since she and her 26-year-old sister "felt totally fine the whole time" they were travelling between the shows. She noted that she was even able to go to the gym and work without any issues.

After her diagnosis, Nguyen informed her Gucci and Saint Laurent contacts as well as friends, family, makeup artist and photographer. The New York Times noted that none of them has shown any symptoms. Still, Nguyen found herself dealing with "messages that threatened both myself and my family," forcing her to delete her social media.

"People said I flew home, that I already knew when I was at the shows - neither of which is true - that I am spoiled, that because I showed my cleavage in one picture, that's why the virus was attracted to me, that it's time for greedy fashion people to stop and think," she confided.

Despite the negativity directed toward her, the jet-setter remained positive. "I completely understand the extreme sentiment, given the world is in hysteria over this epidemic," she stated. "There's definitely major scrutiny for us, but I think it's largely based on assumptions and fantasization of the sequence of events."

Being held in quarantine since being diagnosed, Nguyen claimed that she will get retested on Monday, March 16. She hopes that the test will declare her virus-free, and promises to re-activate her social media in the future. "Once I'm transitioning back to normal life after the recovery, I will bring it back," she said.

While Saint Laurent has yet to comment Nguyen's diagnosis, a spokesperson for Gucci has issued a statement. "Despite 21 days having passed since our show, once we were informed of Mrs. Nguyen's coronavirus confirmation, we informed all guests that were seated alongside Mrs. Nguyen at the show," the rep stated. "They have expressed their thanks and advised they are doing well."